HMFarmForever's 2nd Story Contest 2009
by HMFarmForever
Summary: The queen decides to hold a contest for the writers of the kingdom of fanfiction. Writers came from far and wide to try and win. Who will be crowned the knight of writing?
1. Rules

There once was alot of harvest moon fans who argued which was the best writer... so the queen held a contest to see who the true knight of writing was...

* * *

***THE DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXPANDED TO THE 30TH OF AUGUST***

(Look on profile page for email)

**HMFarmForever's 2nd Story Contest 2009  
**

***Rules:***

1) It has to be about Harvest Moon

2) **Nothing** **SEXUAL-** The most you can have is kissing

3) Must be sent to me by the due date

4) Type your story in and word format (ex. Microsoft Word, Notebook)

-Email your story to me and attach the document.

-If you can't attach it, then send it in the email

5) Subject in Email should be "Story Contest"

6) Do **NOT** separate the story in chapters

7) No Maximum Page Limit

8) Send all entries to: (check profile page)

9) Due Date: 8-30-09

10) Tell me if you have any troubles with sending by due date

***Prizes:***

**1st: Colored Picture with up to 3 characters**

**2nd: Colored Picture with 1-2 characters**

**3rd: Black and White Picture with 1 character**

All stories will be posted on FanFiction under **your** online name

Please rate by Fanfiction guidlines

Who would win the joust of writing?... TO BE CONTINUED


	2. Results

(I decided to make this year's results more like a story ^.^)

**The Contest Results**

All of the town gathered together in the castle of Sunshine, one of the many homes of the Harvest Moon kingdom, ruled by the land Japan, and their king Natsume.

Everyone waited with anticipation as the queen prepared her speech. Finally, after long months of waiting, the queen tapped her glass and asked everyone to quiet his or her voices. The deadline and results had been delayed a few times, because of worthy competitors being away in other kingdoms or countries.

The elegant queen, wrapped in a dress of beauty and grace rose from her seat to give her speech. She had short golden brown hair just above her shoulders, enchanting green-brown eyes that sparkled in the light, and fair peach skin that glowed before her subjects. She was wearing her pointed silver crown with three triangles, the middle the biggest of them all, and a ruby in the middle. She also wore her long blue gown, silk and seemingly tight. She had one sleeve that was darker and the other the color of her dress and gloves. She had a green one identical to it, both made by her cousin, queen of the Daydreams kingdom (also knows as Dare-to-Dream Valley).

"I thought these stories were very good this year." the queen said to her subjects. "Most filled with detail, and sprinkled with creativity and imagination. 'There is always room for improvement…'as a man who inspired me once said. All of the entries this year were quite good, which made them difficult to judge and place. Without further a due, I'd like to congratulate the winners of this years contest."

The crowed cheered and the contestants stepped forward. "Third place… goes to…" the queen said. "MistyandAshforever and her story 'My Stolen Heart'!" Everyone cheered, and a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes stepped forward (Claire). She was wearing blue overalls, a red and white checkered dress shirt, and tan brown shoes. She was handed a yellow scroll, and then she stepped back in line, smiling. "Congratulations, dear! You did well!" the queen said, raising her glass.

"Second place… goes to…" the queen said. "Lunarsnowdrift, and her story 'Never Wear A Bikini To Work'!" Everyone broke in applause, and a girl with short brown hair and big brown eyes, and a huge smile (Akari). She was wearing a short sleeve green shirt with a hood, blue jean shorts, and brown boots. She was also handed a scroll, but hers was red.

"And now… finally…First place goes to…" the queen said, pausing for suspense. "ChaosMorning and his story 'Luna in Wonderland'!" Everyone cheered and shouted at the proud young man, with brown hair, bright blue eyes, and a huge grin on his face stepped forward. He was wearing a tan shirt with scarlet brown patches on the sleeves, a belt over one arm and around his waist, and a giant white scarf (Barrett). He was handed a scroll, but his was slightly bigger and was blue.

Each contestant was also given a purple ribbon, even the ones that didn't win. "I really enjoyed all of your entries, it was very hard to choose the winners this year. They were all really good." the queen said smiling. "I hope you all enjoy your prizes, please contact me on what you would your prize picture to be of. Every contestant shall get a sketch. Thank you all for being here today, and congratulations to the winners."

The queen raised her glass and everyone cheered on the contestants.

**Author's Note: **

Here's the places:

1st) ChaosMorning

2nd) Lunarsnowdrift

3rd) MistyandAshforever

4th) SunnyForever1234

So sorry I took so long, you have no idea how busy I've been. *.*

(See my page for the video ^.^)


	3. 1st Place: Luna in Wonderland

1st Place Entry by: ChaosMorning

_Luna in Wonderland_

In Adventures of a World of Wonder…  
May This Story Let You Follow Luna  
For Soon Is True  
The New Day Begins With Her… and You

It looked to be another lazy afternoon; the sun filled the sky, hanging high in the blue far above Alan's Tree, where two sisters were sitting beneath the trees shade. Luna sighed as her sister Candace read the school lessons, while going over the family clothing store rules and guidelines.

"Now, a customer requests you sew him a woollen sweater, it is the week of July 11th, and you tell him the weekly cost of numbers with 1's in them is 3 dollars extra, and that he will have to-" Candace was reading from the textbook, and Luna cut her off with disgust in her eyes.  
"Why would he even _WANT _a wool sweater in July?" Luna snapped.  
"It's only a ques-"  
"_And, _if it's July," Luna said, hugging her stuffed black rabbit. "Why would we be working? We should be at the beach," Luna continued.  
Candace sighed, brushing her blue hair out of her eyes. "Luna, the shop works all Summer, all year round. You won't have that time off anymore."  
"That's Aw-Full!" Luna spat crossing her arms.  
"It's bad business to close just because it's summer," Candace said, "Nonsense to close because of a season," Candace said seriously.  
"To YOU maybe," scoffed the pink haired girl. "If it was up to _me, _in MY world,I'd close for holidays, weekends, and summer, even winter, too cold to sew then! And oh, yes lots of candy, even flowers could sing!"  
"N-Nonsense Luna, nothing l-like that could happen."  
"_Nonsense, _just means you have more fun. Reality is too DULL!" Luna laughed. Her sister sighed once more. "If such a place existed, it would be in complete chaos…W-well, I'll be right back, I-I'll get us something to drink."  
"Yeah, okay," Luna said watching her sister walk away. She ran her hand down her red-Lolita dress,  
and rested her hands onto her knees, staring into the field.

"Rabbit? Mr. Bunny? Where are you?" she asked looking for her stuffed toy, the black rabbit with white button eyes, a corset, and stitched eyes. She got up and looked around Alan's Tree, when she saw something that amazed her. The rabbit was up walking, searching the back base of the tree.  
"What in the world? That rabbit's stuffed!" The stuffed animal lifted a root, revealing a closed door, which it opened and walked through, the door slamming behind him.  
_Not without me you don't! _Luna thought, getting on her knees and crawling to the little door.  
She began pulling the door, yanking the knob. "OH! So a Stuffed Rabbit can open it, but _I _can't?! I don't think so!" she raised her red boot to the door, and back away a bit, before letting the door have it!  
Its hinges creaked open finally and Luna grinned. "High about time," Luna said crawling into the door.

"WHAAAA!" cried Luna, upon entering the door, she began tumbling down a…for lack of better words,  
rabbit hole. A bit away, Luna spotted her rabbit sitting on a blue chair.  
"There you are!" Luna grabbed hold of the chair, and the rabbit walked up and clutched onto Luna's red bandana, "Hey! Careful!" she called as the two tumbled down.

"Sure is a long drop, isn't it?"  
The rabbit nodded.  
"If I hadn't seen you walking I'm sure I'd think I've gone mad. Then again, I'm sure I've gone mad by now, I'm falling down a pit, to which seems to have no end and-"  
The rabbit jumped off and began free falling down, it pointed down like an arrow, hurtling faster and faster.  
"Wait up!" Luna attempted the same, but caught a downdraft that turned her dress into a parachute, safely bringing her down…well, more-or-less, until she got near the end and was thrown to the floor.

She landed in a red and black tiled room, there was a table set for a picnic, and a chimney with a fire in it. As well as a bed in one end of the room.  
"Not a bad place…Oh!" she remembered her bunny, and turned to see the shadow of the rabbit running down the hall.

"Rabbit! Wait up! Luna chased the rabbit far down the hall, until they reached a door. Once again, the rabbit opened it and went through, closing the door behind it.  
"Sorry, we'll talk later, I need to get somewhere!" the rabbit called, leaving Luna's mouth wide open in a 'O.' The door may have been a good size for the rabbit, but Luna was much larger, and looked around the door in question of how to get through. Lune reached for the handle, but the door was locked firm in place. "Oh, it's one of _those _days, I just know it…"

"It seems to be the start of one, at any rate," someone said. "The bottle up there could help," said the person dryly.  
"Who's there?!" Luna snapped sharply.  
"Right here," said the doorknob.  
"Oh, talking door's, that's _perfectly _normal," Luna remarked.  
"Doors don't talk," the knob said.  
"And I suppose Door-Knobs do?"  
"Well aren't you talking to one right now?" he said.  
"Touché," Luna said reaching for the bottle on the table, she read it, a label on it said: DRINK ME.  
Luna rolled her eyes as she shook the little bottle. "Well, drink it _really _and I was so looking forward to  
tap-dancing on it…" she said uncorking it and drank half of it, but couldn't finish because of it odd taste.  
"Oooff!" Luna cried as she hit the floor, the drink had caused her to shrink, and now collapsed on the ground. She was now the same size as the door, and ran up to it once more.

"Alright, now open up!"  
"Ok, got the key?" Asked the doorknob.  
"Freaky talking doorknob say whaaaaat?" Luna asked, crossing her arms.  
"They key on the table, the one next to the bottle you drank."

She looked up to the door, "Wow…even here I'm too short!!!" Luna cried, she kicked the table leg, and fell backwards onto a cookie with a note saying: EAT ME.  
"Well don't mind If I do," Luna smiled, biting the sweet.

"Mmm, tasty, needs milk…that's a weird after taaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasste!" Luna cried as she grew enormously tall, her head crashing to the ceiling, her legs out and smashing into the walls, with a shaking around in the room. The pain sunk in, and Luna began crying, not only from the pain, but from the confusion of what was happening and she didn't understand any of it. Her tears fell by the buckets, flooding the room, the doorknob gurgled in fear: "The bottle! Drink the rest!"  
Still in tears, Luna reached out and picked the bottle up, though, now it was the size of a pin next to her.  
She drank every last drop, and was thrown in the air, now the size of a thimble, and ended up falling into the very bottle she just drank.

"Miss?" The doorknob opened its mouth, only to swallow in more of the ocean of tear's Luna created, even the very bottle where Luna now was trapped.

"Well, won't Takeru be surprised when I tell him of this adventure," Luna said, speaking of her best friend, Takeru Tranquil, the son of a farmer. "Not that people _will _believe me, strange as this place is."  
Luna leaned her head against the side of the bottle, as the waves of her tears rocked her to a nearby shore.

The forests and beaches spanned out as far as Luna's eyes could see. (Albeit she was only three inches high) A world of emerald green leaves, trees and branches, the beaches were warm and sandy, shells stretched out before them. Nothing but sun was shining, except for one part, where the waves viciously shattered across the sand. Luna climbed out of the bottle, and as she did, the waves began to pour every which way; the world seemed to drown from her tears.

Luna ran down the path, seeing animals of all sorts and distortions of everything she knew. The water washed all around her, and Luna began running again, until she slipped over a root

"AHHHHH!!!!!!!!" Luna yelled, she kept falling and falling, the drop was even longer then when she first entered Wonderland.

_SPLASH!!_

"Hut! Hut! Haha! Come along Charlie, move along!"  
Luna looked through the waves for the White Rabbit, though she saw nothing after a large wave crashed into her. When she opened her eyes, she had been caught up in a game or something.  
"Oh. My. Gosh," Luna said. Starfish, pigeons and herons, even turtles were racing around a tall rock, where on top, and another bird was sitting. Another wave crashed, and hit everyone…except the Dodo on the top of the rock.

"Why, my, oh you!" The Dodo said. "Join the Cactus Race! Dry you right off!"  
Luna ran in the circle, and continuously was being splashed by the waves. "No one can be dried in the race! Ridicules!"  
"Why nonsense, _I'm _dry as the White Rabbit's humour!" laughed the Dodo.  
"Well of course you're dry, the waves aren't even-"  
Luna paused as she saw a Rabbit washed ashore, and he got up quickly dashing into the woods.

"You know, all these people are only Half-Animal… White Rabbit only has the ears and tail…"  
She tried to follow him, but the huge sapphire waves washed around her, the others pushing her in line, stopping her form running.

"Hey! Cut it out!" she yelled at…a starfish. Wow, you don't write that every day.

"Come now Charlie, just keep with the flow and you'll be dry in no time!" called the Dodo.  
"Who's Charlie?" Luna called.  
"Why you of course, Charlie," said a mouse.  
_Charlie? Since when am I 'Charlie'?!  
_"Come along now lad," said the Dodo, "Keep up you're running and you'll work off those excess pounds like, well me," he laughed. Luna clenched her fist. "Oh it is NO WONDER your species is extinct!" she yelled leaping at the rock he stood on.

"Ah! He's gone mad!"  
"I'm wearing a dress! How could I be a _Lad _or _Charlie?" _  
"He's right, we must help his sanity…Get the dress!" he called to the others.

Another waved washed over Luna, throwing her to the grass passed the beach, leaving (some of) the crazies behind her.

"Ah! Awful stuff this weather is!" someone cried out, Luna looked around, sitting under the shade of a tree, a young man wearing a white-tux, matching white slacks, ironed well. His hair was blonde, with a silver look to it, and his eyes sharp and slicing blue with glasses. But the most interesting feature the handsome figure bore was two white fluffy bunny ears, and a white rabbit tail.

"G-Gill?! Oh…YOU'RE SO CUTE AS A BUNNY!!"  
"Who's Gill?" said the White Rabbit snottily.  
"Y-You're not Gill?" Luna asked.  
"Didn't we _just _go over this…"  
"Oh, well you're certainly just as pleasant as he is. Well…could you tell me what time it is? Seems like I've been drifting in that bottle forever."  
The White Rabbit pulled a pocket watch from his white slacks and opened the cover. "Why its…OH MY  
SLICKED HAIR AND TUX! MY FUR AND WHISKERS! I'm Late, I'm Late!" The White Gill Rabbit leapt from the stump he sat on and ran as fast as his rabbit like self could.  
"H-hey! Don't just run out on me!!" Luna took after the rabbit.

The emerald green woods were calm and peaceful, the stormy weather seemed to have subsided and birds and creatures were coming out in the open. Including…The White Rabbit.  
"Mr. Rabbit! Oh Mister Rabbit!"  
The White Rabbit turned to her, waved and kept jogging in his fancy black dress shoes.  
"I'm Late! I'm Late! For a very important date! No time to say _Hello, _Good-Bye!  
I'm Late! I'm Late! I'm Late!"  
"Arrg!" Luna gave chase down the forest trail.

Luna walked down the woodland trail, listening to the birds. (Well, she assumed them to be birds, though, they, much like all the creatures here, were…distorted. She saw rocking-horse flies, cows that tamed the farmers, bread-and-butterflies…)

Luna looked around the forest, for any sign of the White Rabbit, wondering how he made such an escape, (As the Gill she knew was rather geeky and un-sporty) rather quick the rabbit was.  
Which made her wonder where in the world her own stuffed rabbit had gotten too, she hadn't seen him  
since they parted in the Room.

Luna continued through the woods, her mind boggling at all the sights, till she reached a small little house. The place was very cute, a nice little house out in the country, _W.B. Rabbit, _was printed in fancy little letters on the mailbox. A cute little chimney rose from the red roof, which went along well with the white wood building. A nice garden surrounded the home, the path she had been walking continued past it though, through the woods and beyond.

"MARY-ANN!!!" someone roared. Luna turned to see the White Rabbit; he was no longer wearing his glasses, "Mary-Ann! I employ you to go and fetch my gloves and fan!" said the White Rabbit.  
"Mary-Who now?" Luna said as the boy pushed her into the house.  
"Just get the gloves Mary-Ann!"

Luna stalked up the staircase of the house, muttering things under her breath.  
"Lousy prissy, girly, bunny boy…if he wasn't so cute I'd smack him. Well, I'd smack the normal Gill any day, but this one's too cute…stupid rabbit ears," she said as she searched the hallway. A neat and small washroom, Luna had the urge to go through his things, but decided against it. Once having attempted that at Gill's birthday, she didn't enjoy what she read in his diary. Though, making fun of the fact he actually _had _a diary cheered her up.

Luna opened the next door she saw, it led to a tidy little room, a soft bed pushed up next to the wall with a comfy looking pillow on it, a big dresser next to the other wall, with some photos on it. She looked into them, a picture of a large castle, and a pretty blonde woman in a formal dress, another with the rabbit standing next to someone who looked like Luke and Bo. "Hm, now if _I _was a girly bunny boy, were would I put my gloves and fan?" she opened a small container on the dresser, it was filled with cookies, on each of them there was frosting spelling out: _Eat Me._

"You know, I'm going to have gained so many calories after all of this," she said rolling her eyes and biting into one of them as she began to look around the room again. That's when she began to feel quite odd again. "Hm?...Oh not again!"

"Ooof!" Her arms lashed out through windows, her feet going down stairs and out the door, and her head popping through the roof.

She looked down around the house's surroundings, far, far away was a large castle that looked like she could get inside, even and this size. Luna blinked as she felt something hit her cheek.

"Monster! Monster!" called the White Rabbit. Luna looked around, "Monster?! Monster where?!" she shrieked, then looked at herself. "Oh…me," she said.

The rabbit had called others around him, the Dodo, and a young boy with a headband.

"Bo? What are you doing here?" Luna called.

"EEEP!" Bo cried ducking behind the Dodo.

"Why Mister Monster, that is The Lizard Handy-Man, not _Bo," _the Dodo said.  
"Whomever," Luna spat.

"N-Now listen here Monster," said the White Rabbit, "You leave my house this instance!"  
Rolling her blue eyes, Luna responded in a droll voice, "_Well, _I would just _love _to leave this house if I could…but if you haven't noticed…I'M STUCK!"

The sonic scream she set out threw the rabbit, handy-man and dodo back, and they looked more scared than ever. Luna had the worst itching in her foot, and began to shake it, causing the people around her to panic.

"I-it's attacking!" the White Rabbit said.  
"Ah!" the Dodo said, "You two, help me here, we'll fire these stone's at it!" he said.  
_OW!_  
"Oh for the love of…Well, I could say something if I was older…" she sighed.

_Hm, if unhealthy food like those sweets keeps making me grow, I shall try some of the vegetables in that garden. (In all honesty this is backwards…Then again, so is everything here.)_

Luna reached to the White Rabbit's garden, pulling a carrot out of the ground; she was bringing it closer to her, when she felt something kicking her arm.

"That's mine! Stop that!" the rabbit cried.  
"Shove-off Bunny-Boy!" Luna said flicking her wrist, sending him off a few feet. She bit into the carrot, and felt herself tingle all over.

Luna awoke on the carpet of the White Rabbit's room; she looked up, seeing how much she changed this time. "Honey, I've shrunk myself…AGAIN!" Luna got up and looked around. "Dang, no matter what his ears are, Gill's a neat freak, even from this point of view."

"Hm?" Luna said as she walked over to the wall. A small crack was there, just big enough for Luna herself to now fit through. "You know, I always did want to see why mice like crawling through these holes," she said smiling and crawling in.

There was nothing much there, just a lot of wood. "Hm, no wonder mice only live a few years…Bored to death, nothing to do around here," she sighed.

_Haahhhhhahhhhh…._

Luna felt something breathing hotly on her neck, feeling sweating, and her neck clamming, she turned around slowly. "R-r-ra…"

The whiskers twitched as it bared fangs.

"RAT!!!!" Luna screamed, running down the crevice, tripping and climbing the inner walls of the White Rabbit's House. Luna ducked behind a small wooden wedge.

"The Gill I know is terrified of rats…mice, squirrels…any woodland creature," she sighed again, checking around the corner. A long fleshy tail was darting about, as the rat ran back up the crack. Luna darted down the _hall _(so to say) and continued until she ended up in a rain gutter, going down it until she landed in the grass.

"La-La-La-La"

"Hello?" Luna called, she walked around to see women wearing dresses of leaves and flowers, dancing and singing around a garden.

"Oh! Girls look," one said.  
"A girl-child wandered into the forest!" one laughed.

"La-La-La"

One women looked like someone Luna knew from school, she had red hair and tanned skin, red  
eyes and wearing a dancer costume.  
"Selena?" she asked.  
"Who?" she replied.

"Never mind…" Luna sighed.  
"Um, have any of you…ladies seen a white rabbit?"  
"Question should be, honey," the girl began, "if we've seen any pink rabbits, red rabbits, blue, orange. Something like that. Of course we've seen White Rabbits, especially that…Er, _charming_ one employed to the Queen. Now, back to the colourful rabbits. We've all seen white rabbits, be them the fancily dressed one, or any other. White rabbits are so…passé."  
"Ah, yes ever so _passé," _the other nymph replied.

"Um…I don't care about pink rabbits or anything, I'm looking for a white one," Luna said.  
"Phht!" huffed the flower girls. "Then why is your hair pink?"  
"It wasn't my choice," Luna said.  
"Well, how old are you miss?" said the leader of the women.  
"Eleven, but I turn twelve soon," Luna said.

"Awww! A little girl who DOESN'T like pink!"  
"Booo! Get out! Color hater! Go find you're _Bland _rabbit, we, on the other hand will be here, enjoying the nature of colourful words," said the Selena-like women.

"I'd love to say a good colourful word toward you right about now!" Luna said leaving quickly.

Luna kept walking down the seemingly endless forest trail, wondering what was happening back outside of this place. _Back home, I wonder if Candace has noticed I'm gone yet? I can only imagine how that girl will worry. If she was in this situation she wouldn't be enjoying herself like I am. Hmp, except for Selena's little fit back there, next time I see the real Selena I swear I'll-_

"Oof!" she picked herself off the ground, "Hey what's the big ide….a?" Luna stopped and looked up; she'd walked into a giant mushroom.

"Hm? Hello, are you well today?"  
_Jin's a caterpillar?!! Oh this place is making my head hurt…literally. _

"I've been better," Luna said sitting herself on a smaller mushroom,

"But are _you _okay, Jin, you know, the whole _caterpillar _thing?"  
"Perfectly. But I'm not Jin," said the caterpillar.  
Luna sighed, "No one here is who I think they are. Are they?"  
"I have no clue what you're talking about Miss," said the Caterpillar. "Now, what brought you to me today? Are you feeling sick?"  
Luna thought for a moment, "Well, I'm not quite sure, I've changed so much today. I was a perfectly normal little girl earlier, now I've just recently changed so much, it isn't funny. I've grown until my head crashed to ceilings, or till I could follow a mouse through a crack in the wall," she sighed.  
"Hm, well I would suggest you take some of the mushroom later. The left mushroom and right mushroom have different effect. Take some later. Changing is a good thing," said the Jin like Caterpillar.  
Luna shrugged and pulled two mushroom caps off the smaller fungi growing near the one the Caterpillar sat on.

"Hm, that's odd," he said.  
"What is it Ji- I mean Mr Caterpillar?" Luna asked.  
"Well, the Duchess had an appointment right now. I wonder where she is," he mumbled.

"I could try looking for her if you want," Luna said cheerfully, she was rather bored at this point, and meeting a real Duchess would be quite exciting in her eyes.

"Of course, just go through that door in the tree, it should lead you round to the path to the Duchess' House," said the Caterpillar. "But please, why not sit a moment longer, tell me…about these _changes," _said the Caterpillar. "Well," the pink haired girl began. "I began perfectly normal, but since I entered…_This Place, _I've changed so many times…I've even reached this bloody awful height…Three Inches," Luna scoffed.

The bug's eye twitched. "And what is wrong with being that height? _I _am exactly 3inches tall!" Jin scoffed, "Well then, be off!"

Luna headed for the door, _You know, if today were any other day, I'd be at the beach with Takeru…_ Luna opened the door revealing a grassy field surrounded by trees. Down a small trail beautiful mansion, though, it was (like all things here) very oddly done. The house's windows were upside down, the chimney spurred out bubbles, and even the roof panels seemed wrong.

"Oh perfect," Luna said, realizing the _biggest _problem about this house. The Door was twenty times larger than herself. "Lovely," she muttered, walking around the wall. A much smaller door, perfectly identical to the normal one, was placed in front of her.

Luna found herself inside of a kitchen; two people were around the cooking area, while someone else seemed to be sitting on a decorated chair. One of the cooks had peach coloured hair, with clips keeping it out of his eyes, wearing a big apron and a ladle in his hand, the next cook was a young girl, with braids on the sides of her head, coloured orange, wearing a large hourglass like maids dress.

"Maya, Chase!" Luna squeaked. The two cooks turned around, though the female chef kept dousing the soup with pepper. "Pardon?" they said. "Never mind," Luna smirked.

"Hello, may I help you miss?" someone said. Luna turned to see a beautiful blonde girl sitting in the chair, she had lovely clear eyes, long blonde hair, a pretty baby blue dress with lots of lace, high heeled shows, an emerald broach centered on it, and in her arms, and she cradled a small child.

"Kathy?"  
"Hello, I'm the Duchess," she said.  
Luna curtsied to the woman saying, "Hello miss Duchess, I'm Luna."

_Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! _

The child the Duchess held wailed fanatically, waving their tiny hands in the air, she rocked the small child, and the baby began sneezing from all the pepper in the air.

Another chef entered the kitchen, this one strongly resembling Yolanda, Maya's grandmother; she opened her mouth as she stirred the soup,

'_Speak Roughly to your little boy,  
And Beat him when he sneezes  
He Only does it to annoy,  
Because he knows it teases,'_

She laughed, "Least that's how we would do it in my day, milady."

"Luna," the Duchess said, "These are my cooks and th- this i- is- ACHOOOO!" Luna ducked as the Duchess and the baby sneezed, "Sorry," said the Duchess. "Finally, this is my cat," she said pointing to the corner. Luna eyed it, but nothing was there.

"I don't see him," Luna replied.  
"Oh, look a bit harder," she replied. Luna squinted, she seen a large smile floating about, suddenly someone appeared around the smile. A young boy with blue hair, blue cat ears, and big golden cat-like eyes, his goofy grin changed to an even bigger smile as her twirled around Luna, wrapping his blue and navy ringed tail on her, tickling under Luna's nose.

"Luke? Man…you know, that makes sense, the whole gold cat eye thing," she muttered.  
"Hiya!" he said, disappearing, leaving only a grin behind. "Ta, ta," he said.

"Odd, I've never seen a cat smile like that…come to think of it, I've never seen a cat smile," Luna said.  
The Duchess smiled, "That's true, he's quite the cat," she replied.

"You may see a cat without a grin, but you won't see a grin without a cat!" he laughed.  
"That makes _no _sense Luke," Luna replied.  
"Whom?" the Duchess asked. Luna sighed, "It doesn't matter."

"ACHOO!" the baby and the duchess sniffed, "Well Luna, what brought you to this Duchy?"  
Well, I met a caterpillar, whom told me you have an appointment with him," Luna said.  
"Ah, I'd forgotten about that…I can't leave him alone though," the Duchess said pointing to the baby.

"Is he your son?" Luna asked.  
"No, but his parent's are always so busy, they never care for him. So I took him in," she said, and then smiled, "But with you here, I can go to my appointment! If you'll watch him," The Duchess said.  
"Sure, I don't have much _better_ to do," Luna said, thinking of the White Rabbit and her own stuffed rabbit.

"Wonderful! Please, why not join u- u- ACHOO!...Well, I'd say for super, but I think she may have over done the pepper," the Duchess said, pointing to the cook who looked like Maya. _Maybe a different place, but this Maya's the same as mine: Couldn't cook to save her life. _

"Maybe we should eat somewhere else," Luna suggested.  
"I wouldn't do that," the Duchess said, in a very Kathy-like way. "What with the storm settling in," she said.  
"What storm?" Luna asked, as a grin settled next to her, with a cat-boy following it, "That one," he said, pointing out the window, Luna stopped to see literal _buckets _of rain, with cats and dogs following.  
"Careful, might step in a _poodle," _said the Cheshire Cat, before disappearing. "See, this is why we _Cheshire's _don't go out in storms," he said as his tail trickled along the bridge of Luna's nose.

"I don't really care for storms," Luna said. "They do me no good."  
The Duchess rocked the baby and said, "Well there's a good in everything if you look for it," she said. "Without such storms, we'd run out of extra cats and dogs, and where else would we get buckets?"

"You're welcome to stay here," said the Duchess, "It's the least I can do."

Luna opened the door to her bedroom; normally she had her rabbit when she went to sleep, but…who knows where that thing had gotten itself to. She settled herself under the covers of the bed, listening to the loud thunder and lightning outside the estate, as she slipped off into sleep.

The thunder must have been affecting her while slept, because she began having a dream about something long ago.

It was one of the first storms since Luna arrived on the Island after her parents died. She had just finished settling into her Grandmother Shelly's house, her sister Candace was colouring a picture, and Luna decided to go out and play. The island was much younger then, Luna had gone for a walk in the forest, a canopy of trees above her and the emerald ground beneath her feet, she ran through flowers and lay still on the ground, watching the clouds and birds, animals in the trees…when the sky grew dark. Like the angels had become angry, the sky roared in fearful thunder, smiting the ground and air with lightning. Luna was so scared, she didn't know what to do, and the rain pelted her harshly.

"Hey! Are you okay?" someone yelled, Luna looked up, her eyes gleaming with tears, she seen someone running up to her. A young boy with caramel brown hair and bangs that flopped as he ran to her, and had a cowlick at the back of his hair, his warm brown eyes kindly stared at her. He wore a baby blue shirt and black shorts, and nice shoes.

"H-hello?" Luna wept, wiping her tears on her arm.  
"Are you okay?" he asked.  
Luna looked brave and said, "I-I'm fine." The boy folded his arms and looked worried, and then reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a tissue, "Here," he said wiping some of the tears away. Luna's blue eyes went wide. "I'm Luna," she said. "I'm new in town."  
"Takeru," the boy replied smiling, "I live on a farm with my family just outside the town."

The boy, Takeru, helped Luna back to town, showing her the farm on the way, "Your welcome to visit me there any time!" he said, "I like having people over," he said with a big grin.

"Here we are," Luna said, pointing to the tailor shop.  
The two looked up to the sky, "Looks like the storm's clearing," Takeru said cheerfully.  
"Thanks Takeru," Luna said, looking up to the blue clearing sky, before entering her house.

Luna woke up slowly, wiping her eyes and looking out the window, "Looks like _this _storm has cleared up too. Now to go back to the Duchess, then she could go to her meeting."  
She arrived in the main hall; it looked like it had been ransacked. Chairs and lamps were knocked over, the chandelier had been knocked down and muddy footprints were everywhere.

"Hello!!!?" Luna yelled, she heard someone muttering, and saw the Yolanda looking cook entering the room with a mop and feather duster.  
"Where's the Duchess?" Luna asked, approaching the cook.  
"Hm, flimdandergas bloddyflichallrig..Oh, the guards came and took her earlier, something about a croquet match, leaving us with all the work. Oh, the younguns are gonna be lookin' after the baby, so go on now."

"Guards?" Luna said.  
"Yup. Probably went back to the castle," she said before setting more chairs back up.

Luna left the Duchess' Estate, she would go and look for her, or at least _something _interesting to do for now. Accept be bored of course. She wondered what everyone at home was doing, if they were worried about her being gone so long, she left around the afternoon of the previous day, now the morning of the next day, she still hadn't returned.

"I don't even know what I was doing going through that door…" she muttered. "I don't even know where I'm going now."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about that here," someone said.  
"Huh?!" Luna stepped back, her left hand on her chest and the right behind her. "Oh, Luke…Er, the _Cat," _Luna said. The blue tailed cat grinned wide, as he stared at her. "Do _you _know which way I outta' go now?" she said. He nodded and replied, "Depends, where your off to in such a rush miss," he said smirking. "I don't even know where I'm going," she muttered.  
"Then it doesn't matter _which _way you go," he said pointing in different directions.  
She muttered something about stupid cats and said, "As long as I get somewhere then I'm fine," Luna replied. "Oh, you'll definitely get _somewhere, _you'll be walking a while, but you'll hit it eventually."  
"Is there any place special around here?"  
"The Castle I suppose," he said.  
"How do I get there?"  
"You should see the Mad Hatter," said the Cheshire Cat.  
"I don't want to go around _Mad _people," Luna said crossing her arms seriously.  
He shrugged and grinned, "Well, you can't help that. We're _ALL _mad around here. I'm mad. You're mad."  
"How do you know that _I'm _mad?" Luna asked squinting her eyes.  
"You must be mad. You're here after all," the Neko-boy, laughing as he sauntered around her, his tail rubbing around her and swishing around.

"That doesn't prove a thing!" she snapped. "I came here by an accident!"  
"An a unfortunate accident caused her to go mad…That'll make a great story!" he said, sitting on a tree stump, he dusted another next to him off with his tail and grinned, tapping it with a lively grin, Luna took her place and waited for him to answer.

"Well…look at it like this. Dogs wag their tails when they're happy and growl when they're not; meanwhile, I do the opposite. Or change it up, and sometimes both! _Sooooo_, I'm Mad!" He said grinning as he disappeared, his smile the last thing to go, still saying, "Head east, and you'll hit the Mad Hatter's house, be mindful of where you step!" he laughed… "Or, maybe where you _don't _step. Who knows?! HAHA!"

"Uh-Huh…" she said nodding, as she got up and took a look at the Duchess' house before heading out again. She entered the path, taking the eastern road as the cat had told her. She walked on for a little while, before she stepped on a certain block. Her foot sunk into the ground, and she was flung into the air. She felt the rushing sensation of the wind and blistering feel of adrenaline rising. She looked around, she saw the Duchess' Estate, the White Rabbit's House, the coast where the Cactus Race had gone one, and in the centre of the land, she saw the large castle, a large heart adorned the front of it.

A set of teeth appeared before her, soon becoming a young boy with cat ears and a tail, and yello cat-like eyes. "So, took the short-cut, did ya Luna?" said the Cheshire Cat.  
"It would appear so," she said. He grinned even larger, "Do you _ever _stop smiling?" she asked.  
"Do you ever _start _smiling? You should more often," he said twirling and turning invisible, only to reaapear behind her and push her downward, "The person you meet next will probably bring you a smile!"

"I'm gonna get you caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!!!!" she howled as she fell to the evergreen forest bellow her.

"Ooh, when I catch that cat, I'm gonna have him spayed or..." she looked around, she was sitting on a pink clothed table, people were sitting in fancy chairs, singing away not even minding her, passing over tea-cups and slices of cake and other sweets like they didn't know she was there.

On one seat was occupied by a rabbit with silver hair and bunny ears, with eyes closed in slits and wearing a fancy blue outfit. _Toby?  
_

The next person wasn't _really _a person; it was Luna's stuffed rabbit! The final person had a white tuxedo and top hat with a red tag on it and red scarf thing in his collar, his messy brown hair fell to his eyes, and his big brown eyes glued to his tea cup as he sang along with the others. "TAKERU!!" She yelled, she leapt up hugging him like a stuffed animal, "Oh lordie dee-de, finally someone _normal!"  
_"Hello young lady, where did you come from?"  
Luna blinked, "I fell from the sky on your picnic table...and you're just _now _seeing I'm here!?"

"You fell from where now?" someone said, she looked around, a sugar jar opened and someone peeked out, someone with messy reddish blonde hair appeared with mouse ears and tail. "Gray too?" Luna said.  
"Sorry, never noticed. I'm the March Hare," said the Toby-like rabbit.  
"The Dormouse….zzzz…" said the small Gray like mouse.  
"And the Mad Hatter," said the Takeru looking boy.  
"I'm Luna and I-"

"I have a suggestion!" said the March Hare. "I suggest we change the subject!"  
_How Rude!  
_"Motion ruled," the Mad Hatter said.  
"Takeru…" she sighed.

"Take a seat," her stuffed rabbit said, pointing to the huge plushie arm chair at the head of the table.  
"Well, you ditch me for TEA! We have tons of tea parties!" she said.  
"I left so you could meet more new people, instead of just being with me. You should expand your friends to more than just me, Takeru, and Kathy," he said.

"Well I don't get why we came here then, I'm not with the _real _people I know."  
"There are people you know here, don't worry," the stuffed bunny said.

"Who?" Luna asked, raising her eyebrow. The stuffed animal smirked like the cat (If that's even possible), "Time to switch!" The March Hare said, and everyone got up, switching to the seat to their right. "What's the point of that?" panted Luna. "Oh, nothing really Miss Luna," the Mad Hatter replied, just too _DULL _in one place for a long time," he laughed, a carefree tone in his voice. "Just like Takeru…" she smiled, rubbing her temples.

"My word," the March Hare said, "Have you heard?"  
"Heard what?" Luna said looking up from her tea cup.  
"How should I know," he replied, "I was hoping _you'd _tell _me_."

"What the heck?" Luna whispered to the Black Rabbit (Her stuffed animal).  
"Don't worry their mad. Can't help themselves."

_I need to ask what the Cheshire Idiot told me, what was it again? Oh that's right!_

"Do any of you know the way to the Castle?" asked Luna.  
The Mad Hatter looked at her seriously. "Can't see why you'd even _want _to go to the Castle. Not with the Queen in her current _Mood. _I mean. Seriously. Poor Duchess hadn't done a thing wrong, and she's scheduled for execution."  
Luna's mouth dropped. "Wh-Why!? What's she done?"  
"Nothing. That's her crime. She hasn't done enough lately, and the Queen's become bored with her."  
"A-and no ones doing anything about it?"

The others laughed, "Of course not! You'd be insane to do that, its been happening a lot lately. Well, most people have been thrown in jail. The Duchess is the fist and most unlucky. She's the only about to be killed so far…And…hey where are you going?"

"Luna!" the Black Rabbit called, the Hatter at his heels.  
"What? If you're going to say it's too dangerous, then both of you can leave," the pink haired girl said.  
"Well I certainly can't let you go getting yourself killed. But I'll go help, best you could get is mauled I suppose," the Hatter pondered.  
Luna rolled her eyes, "Whatever, let's go. The Castle is at the centre of this…" she stopped for a minute, "_Place," _she scoffed.

Wonderland is laid out sort of like a wheel, with areas spanning from the middle. Luna had gone near full circle since she began her journey, and the whole 'Being Thrown Through the Air' by the Stepping Block at the Duchess' Gardens really sped things along, she skipped two or so areas right to the Mad Tea Party. Now, there was only the forest between Luna and the Castle.  
Easy, right?

WRONG!

If it wasn't the Black Rabbit complaining about the long walk, it was the Hatter constantly blithering on about how a desk is like a hawk…or something like that, a bird anyways. Not like it really mattered. Luna's eye twitched, she clenched her small hands into fists, near ready to smack the next person who spoke.

"You know…" the Hatter begun.  
"THAT'S IT!!!" the girl yelled. "You!" she pointed to the Black Rabbit, "You're the one who started all this, walking and stuff. So you've no one to blame but yourself for your _wittle _feet _hurting!" _  
The Hatter snickered behind his hand, "And you! One-Insult…Shut-Up! Okay? I swear, I'll give you something to _really _talk about! It'll hurt so hard, the real Takeru back home will cry!"

"No need to _Loose You're Head!" _someone said slyly. Luna rolled her eyes as a familiar cat-boy appeared. Leaning on her shoulder the Cheshire Cat said, "After all, if you're off to see the Queen, you'll lose your head anyways!" he laughed, running around a tree like a little kid, more of him disappearing each time.

"Good lord almighty. The Queen won't even have the chance to have me killed; you all are beating her to the punch!" Luna scoffed, continuing down the path, rushing ahead of her companions, muttering to herself. The Black Rabbit approached and said softly, "Luna, we're only trying to help…"  
She looked at him with distain, "I liked you better when you couldn't talk," she spat.

Luna eyed the Mad Hatter as they walked, he looked so much like Takeru, she couldn't believe it. She wanted to feel at ease around him, but he was…A Nutter! A freaking Nutter! Loon! Space-case! Name it and he is. She didn't know why he had wanted to tag along with her, seemed so weird… He looked up at her, and she blushed looking away. _Stupid! He's not Takeru…He's not! I wish he didn't look like him; it'd make him much easier to hate!_

The Black Rabbit warmed his stuffed paws over the open fire. The group had set up for the night, camp had been easy. Well…accept for Luna and Hatter at each other's throats all the time. The rabbit took a moment to think, back home, Takeru (The Doppelganger of the Hatter…or is it backwards?) and Luna were the best of friends, and did everything together. He had even cheered her up about the one thing she hated more than anything than anything in the world…Something the Black Rabbit couldn't do without speaking. (Which, in Luna's world…is impossible)

"Leave me alone!" Luna snapped.  
"You're the one following me!"  
"I wouldn't be if you'd quit walking backwards! That's how we keep bumping into each other!" she snapped.

"They're at it again lil' guy," Cheshire said.  
The bunny sighed. (However that's possible…)

The rain poured down like hail, harsh and sharp. The Hatter ducked into his shelter, his top hat covering his caramel coloured hair, meanwhile, the Black Rabbit tied his corset (Which he had always hated) on tight, keeping the rain off…Luna however, was snuggled up to the cat, blankly looking at the fire. (This somehow didn't burn out.) She winced at the occasional drop of rain hit her, blankly staring at flickering flames.

_Mum…I'm sorry. Please come home soon…_

_Luna, mum and dad are missing_

_You both are leaving Rideout Girls Academy, and will be transferring to a school nearer your new home_

_I'm Takeru! Who're you?_

_Luna? That's a nice name_

_Welcome home dears, how was your first day at school?_

_Tell Gramma how your day was_

_Have a good-time studying; I'll see you at four Dears…_

Luna huffed, leaping up in tears; she couldn't even keep her eyes set ahead…  
She needed to concentrate, the Duchess' needed help. The rain started pelting harder, through the canopy of the forest, Luna constantly whimpered, her head resting in her hands.

"Miss Luna?" Hatter said sleepily. "Are you okay?" Luna looked up with puffy eyes, "Yeah fine," she sniffed. He looked curiously at her, and sat up at the tree she rested on. "C'mon, what's wrong?"  
She looked at him confused, "Why do you want to listen to me? I thought you hated me?" Luna said.  
"I don't hate anyone," the Mad Hatter said, putting his hat on her to keep off the rain. "Now, tell me all about it."

Luna looked longingly into the flames, "When I was little, my mum and dad had to work hard in the city every day. One day, on the Opening day for the beach, I wanted them to hurry right home, and…they got in an accident. They're fine of course…their minds are a little hazy is all. They stay in the city for medical care…the nurses and doctors say they'll be fine in a few years but still…."

Luna looked up, and up, and up, and had only one thing to say. "Oh. Lord."

The Castle was an enormous white stone building that towered high into the sky, piercing the light and heavens. The clouds around its highest peak now looked like a heart in fact, and higher up were other suits. Ivy and roses grew around the structure, and card-like people marched up and around it in patrol.

"Halt!" one roared, "You are in violation of law instigated by her Majesty the Queen!"  
"Oh lovely," Luna said, "And my crime is…?"  
"Breaking and entering!" he returned, more cards surrounding the group. "We haven't even gone inside!"

"Breaking and entering _The World!" _he said.  
"Wh-?"

"Hold your tongue little girl, the Queen's the only one who can talk to people like that!"  
"Then you may as well hand me a crown. Gram says I got my tongue from my mum."  
The cards looked at each other and in union said, "Get them."

The inside of the Castle of Hearts was ritzy and luxurious. The walls were decorated with patterns of all kinds, dice everywhere, checkers as floor tiles and dominos lined the entrance to a large door. "Da' Queen aint got time for riff-raff like ya'll," a rugged nine of spades said, the three of diamonds smirked wickedly and said, "Yup. Her hands are tied with the Duchess' Execution!"  
"The poor little baby she's got gunna be one sad thing, eh?" the twelve of hearts added.

_Miserable people! That poor baby…is going to be growing up with no one around to care for them…_

"Run for it!" the Black Rabbit said, kicking one of the guards. Black Rabbit and Luna ran down the hall way, the Cheshire Cat disappeared fleeing through a wall, and the Hatter was out of sight before long.

The room she found herself in was big, and I mean HUGE! There was a large cage plated gold with hearts adorning it. Inside was a pretty blonde girl, who the pink haired maiden easily recognized. There were to Thrones behind the Duchess, at the end of the hall. On the throne on the left was a shorter looking man with blue hair, a golden grown and a masquerade eye cover. On that of the right, sat a very tall women, dressed beautifully with long pink hair, with and equal crown and mask.

"Who dares interfere with the Duchess' Sentencing?!" boomed the woman at the end of the hall.  
"Um…We do, we're the only other people here…" Luna said, noticing another person, who kept writing things down.

"Gil- I mean, the White Rabbit?"  
"Oh, its you…and the Black Rabbit? What in the world happened to you? What's with the corset?"  
"It's a long story….Trust me."

"I'm sorry, but if you two are done talking, I have a Guillotine rented. It's charged by the hour and we're burning daylight!" the Queen snapped. "S-she's right…" said the King softly.

_How do I know these two?  
_"On what charges have you sentenced the Duchess? From what I've heard you've sentenced her for doing _Nothing."_

"Well _Obviously. _Isn't it rather _dull _to do nothing? In such a poor quality world of amusement, one must find good entertainment. And this girl, has done NOTHING to amuse," the Queen said.  
"People have the right to do what they want! They can't do something just because you _want _something to happen!"  
_Like going to the beach….  
_The Queen eyed the girl. "Who are you? Girl who sides with the Dark Rabbit?"  
_Big mouth…pink hair?_  
"Well that name is amusing. By the way… may I call you Queen B? I'd say more, but I'm not old enough to use worlds like that."  
"Le-least her parent's got her r-r-raised wel-ll," the King said.  
_Stuttering, Blue hair… _"Luna! The Queen has an awful temper!" The Duchess said sharply.  
"_Luna…" _the royals repeated. "Lll-uuu-nn-a"

They way the name was said. The appearances… "How long have you two been King and Queen!?" Luna snapped viciously, marching up to the thrones. They looked stunned, terrified even.  
"Since you were a young child, most likely," the Queen said, biting her lip. Luna was ready to hit them, hard and furious. "Too many questions! Off with her head!" the Queen cried, Luna gulped, "What, were you expecting me to ask you to a game of croquet or something?" the Queen asked.

"You know, this isn't the best place to sit," someone said, a cat boy with a goofy grin appeared, happily sitting on the Duchess Cage.

"Oh, you should try some of this tea," the Hatter said, entering through one of the Great Hall's doors, keys in hand.

"How is it a group of children can disrupt me so dear?" the Queen said. "That girl in particular…seeing her makes my chest hurt…"  
"The sa-same here…" he said, untying his mask, the Queen following his example.

"M-Mom?! Dad?!" Luna gasped.  
"I knew there was something special when I saw you…" the Queen of Hearts said. "I've been stuck here for such a long time…Since that accident? Right Luna?"  
"I-I'm so sorry mum, dad!"  
"I..it's not your fault Luna…besides, you came to help us," the King of Hearts said. "Wh-what now?" Luna asked, hugging the Black Rabbit.

"Now?" The Duchess asked.  
"Now you can go home…" the Hatter said, gesturing to a large door, like the one she entered Wonderland in.

Luna didn't want to leave, not after finding her parent's again! She cast her blue eyes to them; they smiled, nudging her forward. Mouthing _I Love You _to her. She reached for the doorknob, turning back and saying, "Don't forget you're appointment with the Caterpillar," to the Duchess. She nodded, tears in her eyes, "Visit us again Luna! _Luna…Luna…."_

"Luna…Luna…Luna?"  
The pink haired girl softly opened her eyes. Above her stood her sister, two glasses in hand.  
"Sor-sorry I'm late. Gramma Shelly has news for us. Y-you'll never believe it! About Mum an-and Dad," Candace said smiling. Luna eyed the stuffed rabbit in her hand, thinking to herself, _Oh, I think I have a idea what's happening. Wait till I tell Takeru… _The sister's looked up to the warm summer sky, blue and sunny, they hurried home, to hear the news they longed to know.

**The End**


	4. 2nd Place: Never Wear a Bikini to Work

2nd Place Entry by: lunarsnowdrift

**Author's Note:** Okay this one was inspired by just a little short two minute video that I saw on youtube, and then two songs that I thought really went with it. Check yes Juliet, and Friday night. Hope you like it.

NEVER WEAR A BIKINI TO WORK

Akira tipped her backpack over the edge of the shipping bin and watched as all her hard work fell inside. 25 mushroom, 23 toadstools, and some miscellaneous ores and wonderfuls fell into the bin. Akira wiped her glove hand over her forehead in an attempt to remove the perspiration. She had only lived here a full measly month and she thought that she would die during the spring. She hated being hot natured.

The heat was one of the reasons that she had decided that she would be spending most of her summer down in the mine. The underground mine shaft was extremely cool compared to the outside world of Waffle Town. The only problem was beating the snot out of the rocks down there made you feel grimy, but that was something that she was growing used to after spending almost all of the first week of summer down there. The only times she hadn't been down there was to go and get Ben's recipe and buy new seeds for the farm.

She sighed as the last ore fell out; she pulled her backpack towards and closed the shipping bin. She had her entire plan in place. It was 4:00, which gave her two hours that she could go swim in the river before she made her way into town to work a shift at the bar. Ever since summer had started she always wore a bikini underneath her work cloths and then when she was done with work she jumped in the river. She turned with all hells intention of running to the river only to bump into the extremely muscled chest of Owen.

"Going somewhere?" He smirked knowingly at her. She felt the heat rising to her face. She wasn't embarrassed that he knew what she did after work; it was how he found out. It was on the second day of summer that Owen had managed to find out that she wore a bikini under her clothes. She had been working on the 25 floor of the mine, her second favorite floor next to the 19th. She had gotten hot even that far down and decided to take her shirt off for a while and walk around in her bikini top. She hadn't expected that someone would see her.

After she had tied her shirt around her waist she heaved her giant hammer up over head and prepared to smash another rock. She stopped short when she heard a rumbling sound. She shifted her gaze to her shoulder where a tiny pebble had hit her, then looked up; biggest mistake of her life. She decided from that point on that if someone was going to fall on her, she would rather not know about it. At the time she hadn't really been concerned with moving, only staring as Owen hung limply from the floor above trying to hold on and keep from falling.

"Oh, crap!" He yelled as the floor disintegrated away and he fell down. No doubt at the time that he was rather surprised to find that falling this time was not as painful as it had been the countless other times he had done so. He twisted around to find himself face to face with Akira's bikini top. Needless to say she was forced to explain that.

"You know very well where I am going." She rubbed her head; she was not in the mood to argue with him. She vaguely noted that behind him stood none other then Luke, Bo, and Kathy. She glared at Akira, thoroughly convinced that Akira was after Luke, and even though Akira had been certain that Kathy and Owen were dating when she'd first moved to the island she didn't think they still were. Something told her Owen would care if his girlfriend was making kissy faces at some guy while he wasn't looking.

"Well then you can come with us, we're going to the beach next to On the Hook." Owen smiled and gestured towards his friends behind him. Akira warily eyed Kathy and her "if you dare think about coming with us I'm going to kill you" look, and decided against it.

"No thank you, I think that I prefer swimming by myself." With that Akira turned and tried to walk around him only to have him grab her waist and lift her up onto his shoulders.

"I think that you should be a little more social. I don't think that you have been in town much lately have you?" He asked as he carried me towards the beach with his friends. Akira thought Bo was awesome and Luke reminded her so much of her sister's son that it was just creepy, but she couldn't bring herself to look Kathy in the eyes because of the evil eye eye.

Akira clawed at Owen's head when they passed her house.

"What?" He said irritably.

"I need a towel you ape!" Akira replied flailing her arms back towards her house. Her cows mooed at her when they saw her, and she tried to motion to the horse that mommy needed a little help, but they all just stood there as they went on by.

"Don't worry you can use mine." He said simply. She pouted and crossed her arms and refused to talk to anyone but Bo who had suggested multiple times to Owen that maybe it would be best to put her down. Three guesses as to what his answer was. Finally when they reached the beach he sat her down after laying his towel out for her so that she wouldn't get covered in sand. She had to admit that she was strangely touched that he would do that for her.

Luke ran past them so fast that he kicked up sand and caused them both to start coughing.

"Sorry." He yelled from the water. Akira laughed and called back to him that he had forgotten to take his bandana off. He cursed and made his way back while untying the piece of fabric and laid it on his towel before jumping back in the water and knocking Bo over at the same time. Bo dived at him and cuffed him around the head and they started wrestling. Kathy cheered on Luke and all Akira could do was laugh. Owen walked out to where they were wrestling and pulled them both apart by cuffing both of them. Luke struggled against him.

Even though Luke had a pretty good set of muscles himself they couldn't compare to Owen.

"You realize that you're not going anywhere?" Owen asked while smirking. Luke's reply was biting him. Owen dropped them both and rubbed his arm.

"Chicken!" Luke cried as he came up out of the water under Kathy and lifted her up. At this point Akira had joined them in the water and was talking to Bo about how to keep her axe in good condition. She made a strangled clucking noise as Owen grabbed her and sat her on his shoulders.

"I don't know what the crap that you think you are doing, but you will put me down right now or so help me god, I will yank out every last strand of hair that you have." She yelled at him.

"Oh, that's kinky." Owen laughed at her.

"How in the hell is that kinky." She screeched.

"Cause that would require you to go lower then me thinks you want to go." Owen lowered his eyes suggestively.

Akira turned her head in order to hide the rising blood. Despite the fact that she still protested Owen wouldn't let her down so she was forced to play chicken. Akira had to say though at the end of the game that chicken could make you feel good about yourself if you were the one that won. Obviously micro sized Luke didn't stand a chance against macro Owen, but it was also funny to see Kathy fall just from being shoved. Maybe all that hard work on the ranch and in the mines was doing something else to.

"Bo what time is it?" Akira had to look down at him seeing as Owen still hadn't put her down yet. Bo turned his head towards the clock tower in Waffle Town square that had just started working again a few weeks ago, *cough-Akira-cough*.

"Almost six, why?" Akira screeched and stood up on Owen's shoulders before jumping in the water. When she came back up she scrambled towards shore with Kathy not far behind.

"Hey, where are you two going?" Luke called after them.

"We're going to be late for work!" they both screamed back at the same time. When they reached shore Akira went to get Owen's towel but stepped back as it was snatched away from her grasp.

"What do we have here?" Akira shuddered at the voice. It was Julius, the guy that had made fun of her from day one. "You actually own a decent swimsuit that actually goes with your complexion." He made a gasping sound.

"Go away." She told him as she tried to get the towel back. He held it out of her range of reach.

"Although," he started again, "I can't believe that you actually have the bust to fill in that top. Maybe you…" He never got to finish.

Akira stared in shock as she watched Owen's fist connect with Julius's jaw.

"Why don't you go find someone else to torture, Julie." Owen used his girly nickname that used only by the people that didn't really like him.

"I'm telling you Uncle about this." Julius held his face as he ran off.

"Go ahead, see if I care!" Owen yelled after him.

Akira turned slowly and looked Owen right in the face. She bowed tucking her hands in her lap and thanked him for helping her. Owen pulled her face up by placing his hand on her jaw.

"Don't worry about him; I think he's mainly a little jealous that Candace likes you more than him." Was all he said before his lightly pressed his mouth to hers and then quickly pulled back. His face ever so red he turned around and walked away, but stopped and turned his head to look at her.

"Don't worry about the towel, see you tomorrow." Then he continued walking home.

**Author's Note:** Sorry it probably seems a little rushed and I know that Julius isn't supposed to arrive until the winter, but I decided that he's really the only guy in the game that I could see doing that. Sorry if it wasn't any good, but I myself thought it was cute. Comments and reviews are appreciated, but not required. See you later.


	5. 3rd Place: My Stolen Heart

3rd Place Entry by: MistyandAshforever

_**My Stolen heart**_

_Summary: Skye is planning something for starry night festival. What is he going to do as his heart is stolen by a beautiful maiden? In Skye's POV___

_**Skye's POV ( Point of view)**_

It was the morning of Winter 24th. That means it starry night festival, and I had the perfect plan for later.

You see, in a turn of events, Claire, the beautiful Mineral Town farmer, had stolen my heart. So tonight was the special night in which I, Phantom Skye, would present her with a rare blue feather, a symbol of marriage in the town. I spent days for looking at that blue bird and got the feather from her.

I watched as she took her horse for a run around her snow-covered field a few times. Her long blonde hair billowed out behind her, and a large grin lit up her flushed face. It made me smile, seeing her so happy. I wondered for a brief moment if she thought about me the same way.

Oh, to hell with it. I'm still proposing to her. _Please say yes, Claire._

I signed the letter in my neat script and left it on her bedside table. Claire was running some errands around town, so I took this opportunity to use my remarkable lock picking skills to sneak into her house and leave a note.

_Dearest Fair maiden,_

_As tonight is the Starry Night Festival, I will be seeing you at 6 o'clock, on the dot. Don't worry yourself about the food, I will provide some of my cooking like I promised before I'll let you taste my food. See you tonight._

_Yours Truly,_

_Phantom Skye_

I left silently the way I'd come, taking some curry powder from her fridge. I could definitely use this.

I went to Forget-Me Not-Valley. As I went back, I saw Rock flirting with Lumina and Ruby was doing some grocery shopping in Mineral Town. Nami? I think she's in her room or went to Gustafa's place. I snuck into the kitchen in the back, making sure to lock the door in case someone decided to pay a visit to the inn. Pulling out a few pots and pans, I dumped the curry powder, some rice, and a couple herbs on the counter and waited until the pot was warmed up. I added the ingredients to the pot, all the while thinking that Claire wouldn't be able to resist my delicious cooking. _Who wouldn't? After all, I'm cooking this with love like what Claire taught me…_

_It happened like this a few weeks back,_

"_Hehe. The ocean is especially beautiful tonight, isn't it?" I asked while we were sitting down on the sand looking at the ocean "Maybe it's because you're right beside me, Claire."_

_She looked at me and blushed a little_

"_You know, I pride myself in making curry!" I said_

"_You cook?" She asked_

_I nodded my head, "Yep. But I can never seem to make the curry I'm going for. I've got the right flavour and all, but still it seems to miss something important. What do you think it is?"_

"_Maybe you aren't cooking with love?" Claire asked_

_I laughed, "Hehe. Love, huh…? You maybe right. I've been so focused on the flavour that I've never thought about it."_

_She giggled, "When, you cook you must cook it with love and the dish will be perfect and delicious!"_

_I loved the way she giggled._

"_I hope you'll try my curry next time when I make some." I told her_

"_I'll be honoured to!" Claire said proudly _

"_I promised I'll let you taste my curry." I said smiling_

"_Ok." Claire said_

The curry was done cooking, so I happily took it to Claire's farm all the way back to Mineral Town. It will be a long walk but I'll reach there before 6pm.

Later around 5: 55pm,

I finally reach Mineral Town. I walk to her house. But first, I have to look good. I fixed my already perfect hair and straightened out the collar of my shirt. I fingered the blue feather residing in my pocket, wondering how exactly I would pop the question. _Wait, why am I asking that? I'm Skye the Phantom thief! I can win every girl's heart but how to ask Claire exactly. "Here, maiden, have some curry. And while you're at it, marry me." No, that wouldn't do. I needed something much more original, but classic at the same time. "Claire will you marry me?" No, no, no. That's not Skye the Phantom thief should say._

I went to her door and knock.

It was opened by, a beautiful blond lady with sparkling sapphire eyes and a smile that I love to see on her face

"Good evening, Claire. I'm delighted that you chose to show up," I said courteously, Her hair was left down and a flower on her hair, and she looked pretty at her strapless, pink dress that has flowers on it. "You look lovely, as usual."

Claire nodded her head. "Thank you. This is actually what I wore for the Goddess's festival. Ann, Karen, Muffy and Popuri were in charge of my hair and my make ups."

Now that she mentions it, she looked pretty anyways. I smiled, "So can I come in?"

Claire giggled, "Of course, Mr Skye."

I went in her house and pulled out a chair for her.

She sat down and I took out my curry.

Claire smiled, "It smells delicious."

"Of course!" I said while I sat

Claire took a bite.

"This curry is really good, Skye. Did you make it yourself?" Claire asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Certainly. Home-made curry is much better than anything store-bought," I explained, popping a spoonful in my mouth.

"Of course. But I do have reason to believe that this was not actually made in your home," Claire said playfully, laughing. "Nor with your actual cooking appliances."

I chuckled at her statement. "You are quite right, but it's the thought that counts. Plus I cooked it with love!"

"Really?" Claire said

I nod my head and smiled

"So actually took my advice huh?" Claire asked

"Yup." I replied

There was a pause as we both ate. It was not an awkward silence, just a thoughtful one.

I savoured a bite of my curry. It was really very good. Maybe I should open up a restaurant. Of course, I'd need an alias. Maybe I could just call myself something ordinary, like Michael. Yes, Michael would work nicely. But where would I open it and I prefer my own name? The city wouldn't work; too many people knew me there. Hmm….

"Skye?"

I was snapped out of my thoughts to see Claire looking at me strangely. "Yes?"

"There's something I have to tell you." She mumbled

I raised my eyebrows.

"I wanted to ask you something." I told her

"You go ahead." Claire said smiling

My heart was beating very fast. I stood up and pushed in my chair, reaching into my pocket for the blue feather.

Claire was wondering why I was standing up.

I moved so that I was standing in front of Claire, and got down on one knee. This is how it's supposed to work, right? Hoping I was going about this the right way, I slid the blue feather out of my pocket, but hid it under my hand so Claire couldn't quite see it yet.

"Claire," I took a deep breath, and finished what I started. "Ever since I met you at Forget-Me-Not-Valley, nothing has gone the way I've planned. I'm a phantom thief and I'm supposed to be the one that steals things, but it seems that instead of stealing your heart, you've stolen mine," I paused for a moment, searching for what to say. I wasn't even sure if Claire was breathing anymore, but neither was I, so I continued. "I'm head over heels for you, Claire. No matter how many girls say their hearts belong to me, it's always yours I've wanted. I love you."

I uncovered the blue feather and held it out to the stunned blond girl. "So, I hope you'll accept when I ask you to marry me. Marry me, Claire?" I closed my eyes held my breath as I waited for an answer. After a few second, I opened them again to make sure she was still alive.

"Claire?"

She opened her mouth to say something, but paused. Suddenly, she started laughing.

"Claire? You know, I'd love it if you would give me an answer," I said, starting to get impatient.

Still laughing, she managed to choke out an answer. "Yes," was the magnificent word that came out between giggles.

I was so stunned that might have been paralyzed to the floor if Claire hadn't suddenly kissed me. Granted, it was kind of a weird kiss, since she was still laughing, but I was so elated that I didn't care.

When we finally broke apart, there was still one question I had to ask. "What was it you found so funny?"

Claire smiled and walked over to a wooden box by her door. She pulled none other than a blue feather out of it and walked back over to where I was standing. "I wanted to ask the same question"

"Oh," I said, looking very dumb.

"Did you steal this feather?" Claire asked

"Of course not! I spent days looking for that bird to just get you this blue feather." I said

During the past few minutes, the small but unusually forceful farmer had managed to push me backwards so that the back of my legs were now up against the side of her bed.

"I love you," I said before she pushed me backwards onto the bed with a devilish gleam in her sapphire eyes.

"Love you, too," she said with a grin. Then she kissed me. And I kissed her back. A 5 star _slash _'T' rated kiss.


	6. 4th Place: Perfect

4th Place Entry by: Sunnyforever1234

Perfect

Tears ran down my cheeks. I blinked them back. I was shipwrecked like the heroes of all of my childhood stories, but it was real, right here, right now. Standing on an uncharted beach, it was all too much! "Chels, you okay?" I turned around to find Natalie. Her normal tough girl face showed a hint of concern and uncertainty. "I'm okay, just a wee bit homesick." I replied. Natalie nodded and left. I sighed and turned back to the endless ocean. I had lied. I wasn't homesick one bit. I was frustrated, my family had been farming our whole lives, but I had never been taught. So here I am. 20 years old, uncomfortable, unloved, unknown. The 'un's' seemed to go one forever. Plus, how would you feel if you were forced to farm with absolutely no experience. But I knew pouting wasn't going to do anything about it. So I picked up my seed filled rucksack, and headed to my farm. As I walked up, I smiled and waved a Vaughn, who turned away. "What a shy boy," I thought, "He must have had a rough childhood."

Standing determined in my fields, I started to sow my seeds. At about 6 pm, I decided to call it a day. I wiped my sweating forehead with a cloth, set my hoe and watering can in the rundown shed, and opened the door to the rickety shack I called home.

I woke up the next morning to a knock on my door. I scrambled out of bed to open it. Expecting to see Julia or Gannon, I looked up, but instead, I had to look down on Taro's bald head. He said, "Chelsea, I found and old fishing rod and I know you'll get more use out of it then me." He handed me an old looking fishing rod, and set off. I stood in my doorway, in my nightgown, looking down on the contraption. After watering my plants, I found a large rock near the bank of the river near my house, found a couple worms, and sat down to fish. By 7 pm, I had caught an enormous amount of fish. Happy with my catch, I put the rod away and lugged the fish to my shipping bin. I gave the crops one last look over before hitting the sack.

Day after day my schedule stayed the same. Get up, get dressed, eat breakfast, water my crops, dig up worms, fish, look over crops, ship fish, eat dinner, and sleep. It seemed I'd be living my life to that tune when one morning, my life changed forever. I was eating some cereal when I heard a knock at my door. I got up and opened the door. Expecting to see Taro, I looked down. "Uhhhh, what are you doing?" a voice asked. I stepped back to find a tall man, carrying a fishing rod and smiling. I just stared at his face for what seemed like forever. "Hi, I'm Denny!" the man said, breaking my fantasy. "I'm Chelsea." I smiled and said. The two of us smiled at each other until Denny broke the silence. "I heard a large amount of fish was shipped from here and I wanted to find the wonderful person behind that!" I started blushing uncontrollably. He was cute, sweet, and positive! He was absolutely perfect, even though I had just met him! "That'd be me" I giggled. He gave a little chuckle too. "I'm going to live in that shack on the beach from now on. I heard the island used to major in fish shipping, so living here would be perfect! Stop by for a visit if your on the beach, 'kay?" He said. "Okay!" I smiled. And with that he was off. I waved good-bye blushing like crazy.

I began to feel like a teenager falling in love. I stopped by to see Denny often. Sometimes, I would show him my catch of the day. I also met the idol Lanna. The two of us became close friends. But I started to feel that maybe she was trying on Denny too. Whenever Denny and I were talking, she joined the conversation. And even worse, she always had something more interesting to say. Much better that my stories of growing up in a condo with my brother, Mark. Lanna told of her journey in pop stardom. Doing little dances and singing lines of her hit, "Into your Arms"

I wanted to set things straight, so I called her up. The Island was growing, so we decided to meet at the Diner. I came in my plain Orange tee shirt, yellow vest and red boots. She showed up in her lacy green dress and her matching headband. I sighed, wishing I had money for things like that. We sat down at a table and ordered drinks. "So, what was it you wanted to talk about, Chels?" she sung in her girly voice. My hands trembled around my drink as I said, "Look, I know we're close friends, so would you mind if you told me if you like…" I hid my face. "Like who?" Lanna asked, "Denny?" I looked up, surprised, but nodded slowly. Lanna giggled "As a friends, yes, as a guy…well, a little." I looked down into my drink at the unflattering reflection. "But if you want to date him, I'll stay out of your way." Lanna smiled. Both of us looked at each other and laughed. I was relieved. If there was one thing I never wanted to do is to fight over a guy with my best friend. Just then, the diner door opened Lanna and I saw a tired Denny walk in and sit at a nearby table. "This is your chance!" Lanna whispered. I looked at Denny, who was ordering his food. I sighed "Are you sure?" I whispered back to Lanna. "Of course!" she replied and gave me a wink. "Okay" I said, "But you have to come with me." Lana looked at me with a look that said "Are you kidding me?!" But she agreed. The two of us got up and walked over to the table where Denny sat. He was receiving his food. "Wow, that's certainly a big heap of food ya got there, Denny!" Lanna giggled. "You meeting someone?" I asked nervously. I looked at the food set on his table. Everything from fried noodles to cheesecake, he could never eat it all alone. "Nope," He said "Just got back from a fishing trip and I'm _starving_!" Lanna looked disgusted. "You've **got** to be kidding me!" She said "You'll get fat like your little birds!" She laughed so hard tears steamed out her eyes. Denny and I exchanged a glance. "Well, Lanna," I said, "Denny's a working man and he needs his nutrition!" "Huh?" Lanna asked, wiping a tear from her eye. "He needs that food" I smiled. "Well, you two stay here, I'm tired and I need to call it in for the day" Lanna giggled. She winked at me, grabbed her purse, paid for her drink, and left. "Sit down and help yourself!" Denny said. "Uhhhhh… Are you sure that I…" Denny laughed "It's okay, girl" I sat down on the seat across from him, but ate little. The two of us had such a great time. When we were finished, I helped the waiter clear dishes, and met Denny outside. "How'd you enjoy your first date with me?" He laughed. I stared at him as I did when we first met. Did he mean it!? "Y-Yes…Yes I did!" I laughed. And, as if we had the same thought in our heads, he held me close, and walked me home. In the starry night he left me at my front door. But I couldn't help myself. I ran and stopped him in his tracks, and kissed him. That moment locked in time. I wanted it to last forever, but when it finally ended, he smoothed down my bandana, smiled, and left blushing. I sighed. He really was perfect.


End file.
